THE MODERN HORSE DOCTOR. 379 



storm for several hours, and he will take what is termed, in 

 popular language, a "cold." Let him now be treated according 

 to the principles of the "kill or cure system" — bleeding and 

 purging. The secretions then become impaired ; loss of appetite 

 sets in ; the " coat stares ; " there is a dull, sleepy appearance 

 about the animal, and a discharge from the nostrils, at first thin 

 and opaque, but which soon acquires a tenacious and acrimonious 

 character ; it finally assumes a putrid type, and decomposes parts 

 of the mucous surfaces ; ulcerations of the cartilage of the nose 

 follow, and we have a pure case of glanders. Then, as. another 

 illustration, let us suppose that the function of the skin be im- 

 paired, and the animal be confined in a hot and crowded stable. 

 Under these circumstances, the lungs have an extra amount of 

 labor to perform, and soon become incapacitated. We then 

 have deposits of morbific matter on the mucous membrane, which 

 corrode, accumulate, and finally result in tubercle of the lungs. 



When horses take cold, there is a loss of equilibrium between 

 the internal and external relations. The reader must bear in 

 mind that the mucous membrane, which lines the internal cavi- 

 ties, is a duplicature of the external surface ; but not being ex- 

 posed, like the skin, to the action of external agents, it is not so 

 strong nor so dense as the latter ; yet it performs nearly the 

 same office. If the action of one is suppressed, the other imme- 

 diately commences to perform the extra work ; hence a common 

 cold, which contracts the excrementitious vessels of the external 

 surface, also checks insensible perspiration. Morbific materials 

 now recede to the mucous membrane, producing a discharge 

 either from the nose or eyes ; in some cases, however, pro- 

 ducing diarrhoea. 



Whenever a horse has taken cold, the prudent owner will en- 

 deavor to force a crisis, that is, to relax the external surface, — 

 or, in other words, promote insensible perspiration, — which can 

 easily be accomplished through the aid of warmth, moisture, and 

 irritants externally, and by giving sudorific and antispasmodic 

 medicines internally. The stricture, if we may so term it, of the 

 surface, being thus relaxed, permits the egress of morbific mat- 

 ter, which would otherwise be thrown on the lungs or kidneys. 

 If there is not sufficient power in the system to determine 



